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CnCSaga

The GDI Crawler

  • Designation: MCV Mk VII
  • Affiliation: GDI
  • Role: Mobile Construction Vehicle
  • Launch date: 2073
  • Classes: Attack, Defence, Support
  • Armament: Variable
  • Type: Crawler
  • Speed: Variable

Background

The Mobile Construction Vehicle has been the centrepiece of the GDI’s forces for nearly eighty years. Its unrivalled mobility has enabled GDI commanders to combat any threat across the globe. Although the MCV has evolved over the decades, its primary role – the rapid deployment of troops anywhere in the world – has never changed. The new MCV Mk. VII is the latest version of the Mobile Construction Vehicle, developed specifically to deal with the TCN conflict.

Since construction of the Tiberium Control Network began in 2062, GDI forces have continuously protected the entire Tiberium Control Network against the separatist forces of Nod. When all the anti-Kane Separatists united to form a single group in 2070, they launched a series of attacks on the TCN’s construction sites, halting the building of this vast network and throwing GDI troops into disarray. GDI leaders realised they could not defend the TCN whilst simultaneously pursuing and destroying the Separatist forces. Faced with this insurmountable problem, the GDI began a complete overhaul of its army and arsenal, focusing all its efforts on developing the TCN’s defences.

Once the GDI army had finally been restructured into three distinct branches-Attack, Defence and Support-the GDI also unveiled the new VCM Mk. VII, designed exclusively for the purpose of defending the TCN. Affectionately nicknamed the ‘Crawler’ by military personnel, this new VCM is far more mobile than its predecessor and more powerful than any VCM in history. A Crawler is capable of producing all the units and structures in the GDI’s arsenal without the need to build a massive base. The Crawler is also capable of packing up and building whilst on the move. However, it must always unpack in order to deploy units and structures.

A year after its launch, the GDI utilised the new VCM Crawler to crush the Nod Separatist forces and force their leaders into hiding, thereby bringing the TCN conflict to an end in late 2073. Today, the GDI’s Crawlers continue to safeguard the construction of the global network and are the first, and sometimes the only, line of defence for the vast Tiberium Control Network.

Battlefield Specifications

With GDI forces reorganised into the three branches of Attack, Defence and Support, each branch has requested specific optimisations of the VCM to suit their role. Apart from their individual differences, the Crawlers are deployed to the battlefield via the brand-new atmospheric deployment system. This enables the Crawler to reach the combat zone within minutes of hostilities commencing. Some commanders are so reckless that they send their Crawlers straight into enemy troops, crushing them in the process. Crawlers also serve as repair stations; an unpacked Crawler will repair any unit or structure within its range.

All Crawlers are deployed with limited construction capacity and no armament, but they can be upgraded during the battle.

Offensive Crawler An impressive four-legged walker, the Offensive Crawler is capable of traversing a variety of rugged terrain and is designed to pursue, engage and eliminate Nod’s Separatist forces. Its primary role is to project strike forces as close as possible to the front lines, and it is frequently deployed for various missions such as escorting, search-and-destroy operations, and base assaults. The Offensive Crawler can be upgraded to build additional units such as the Mammoth Tank Mk.IV and the imposing Mastodon; it can also be fitted with new machinery, armour and weapons to lead the charge itself.Defensive Crawler The forerunner of the traditional VCM, the Defensive Crawler is the only Crawler capable of constructing buildings. By trading its mobility for construction equipment, the Crawler can quickly and efficiently build a wide variety of defensive emplacements to protect the Tiberium Control Network. The Defensive Crawler itself can be upgraded into a mobile fortress with improved repair systems, shields and powerful artillery guns. It can also deploy Zone-type infantry – men and women equipped with powerful exoskeletons – to engage enemy troops beyond the defensive perimeter. The most powerful Defensive Crawler can also build Artillery units such as the Juggernaut and, in the event of a particularly fierce clash, it can command the legendary Ion Cannon to disintegrate the enemy.Support Crawler

Resembling a flying Aircraft Carrier, the Support Crawler is the fastest and most manoeuvrable of all the Crawlers in the GDI’s arsenal. The Crawler is capable of deploying fighters, bombers, attack helicopters and, once fully upgraded, fortresses, although it needs to land to open its launch bays. In addition to the GDI’s air forces, Support-class captains can also command a wide variety of utility vessels capable of repairing, conducting electronic warfare, or even upgrading allied weaponry. In the fiercest battles, experienced captains upgrade their Support Crawlers with better propulsion systems to increase their mobility and Scorpion Rockets to ensure their defence. They are also granted access to experimental technologies to support their allies.